[07] US' WILSON: "GUL'S VISIT TO YEREVAN WILL BE A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD"

Ceremonies marking the 89th anniversary of the Sivas Congress were held in
Sivas yesterday. Addressing the festivities, President Abdullah Gul said,
"I once more declare that the unity of this country can never again be
ruined." He added, "Once again we remember how hard it was to found this
country, and what kind of sacrifices were made to lay the foundation of the
Turkish Republic." In related news, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and main opposition Republican People's Party
(CHP) leader Deniz Baykal also issued messages marking the anniversary.
/Cumhuriyet/

[02] ERDOGAN: "IF YOU DON'T SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE, YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING"

Asked about President Abdullah Gul's decision to travel to Armenia this
Saturday to watch a soccer match between the national teams of the two
countries, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that he views
the visit favorably. "If you don't sit down at the (bargaining) table, you
can't get anything," he said in Syria, where he had met Syrian, French and
Qatari leaders for a summit on the Middle East. "You should sit down at the
table and let others leave." Rebuffing criticisms of the visit, Erdogan
accused opposition parties of exploiting the issue for political gain.
"Such things (visits) are normal among states," he said, and dismissed main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's criticisms
as fruitless and unconstructive. "Baykal is doing the only thing that he
can," the premier said. "He continues to base his opposition on negativity
alone. He has no plans for today or the future." /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/

Hosted by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the current president of the
Arab League, a four-party Dialogue for Stability summit was held yesterday
in Damascus. Focusing on peace talks between Syria and Israel as well as
the Palestinian issue, stability in Iraq, and Lebanon, the meeting was
attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Nikolas Sarkozy
of France, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, and Qatari Emir Sheik
Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who holds the presidency of the Gulf
Cooperation Council. Afterwards, at a joint press conference, both Sarkozy
and Assad praised Turkey's mediation efforts between Syria and Israel.
"Turkey is the only country taking the initiative to start indirect peace
talks between Syria and Israel," said Assad, stressing the importance of
the trust put in Erdogan and Turkey's mediation for the talks. Praising
Turkey's initiative for Middle East peace, he thanked Turkish officials for
their efforts. For his part, Sarkozy said that the EU was grateful for
Turkey's mediation between Syria and Israel, and added that his country
supports Turkey's efforts. Saying that Turkish officials have done well,
Sarkozy also said that the indirect talks between the two countries should
lead to direct talks. Erdogan also expressed his hopes for the future of
the indirect talks. Stating that both Syria and Israel have so far taken
constructive stances, Erdogan said, "I hope this will continue and produce
a positive outcome." Erdogan yesterday also attended an iftar fast-breaking
dinner with Assad and al-Thani. /Turkiye/

A European Union foreign ministers' informal meeting will start today in
France, with Foreign Minister Ali Babacan set to attend the last day of the
two-day meeting. Issues at the meeting will include aid to Georgia,
Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Middle East peace
process, and the EU's relationship with Russia. /Star/

President Abdullah Gul's upcoming "historic" visit to Yerevan constitutes a
strong and encouraging gesture for relations between Armenia and Turkey,
said the European Council Presidency yesterday in a statement. "(We hope
and wish) that this extremely symbolic visit will create the normalization
of relations between the two countries," the EU statement said. It also
stressed the importance of Caucasus stability and cooperation. In related
news, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that the
crisis in Georgia has underlined the importance of good neighborly
relations in the region, including Turkish-Armenian relations. Rehn added
that a normalization of relations would boost stability in the region, and
also lay the groundwork for strong regional cooperation. /Aksam-Star/

The US welcomes President Abdullah Gul's decision to accept Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian's invitation to visit Yerevan to watch a match
between the national football teams of the two countries, said Mark Toner,
the US State Department's spokesman for the Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs, yesterday. Stating that the US appreciates the courage of the two
presidents taking steps to promote regional peace and prosperity, Toner
expressed Washington's hope that the historic meeting would be a step
towards normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations. /Aksam/

[07] US' WILSON: "GUL'S VISIT TO YEREVAN WILL BE A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD"

Commenting on President Abdullah Gul accepting Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian's invitation to watch a World Cup qualifying match between the
national football teams of the two countries in Yerevan this weekend, US
Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson yesterday praised Gul's decision as a
positive step forward. Stating that the US has always supported Turkish-
Armenian dialogue, Wilson said that Gul's visit would contribute to the
creation of a more peaceful, cooperative and harmonious Caucasus. He also
stressed that the US continues to work with Turkey for common interests in
the region. /Star/

US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns will pay a
visit today to Ankara. This week's four-party summit in Damascus, the
crisis in the Caucasus, Turkey's relationship with Armenia, and Turkish-US
relations will be discussed during the meeting, where Burns will meet with
Foreign Ministry officials. Afterwards, Burns will be received by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. /Star/

Columnist Mustafa Dolu comments on President Abdullah Gul's decision to go
to Yerevan to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Turkey and
Armenia. A summary of his column is as follows:

"Tomorrow's World Cup qualifying match between Turkey and Armenia has
almost turned into a war strategy. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
doesn't want his party's deputies going there, but President Abdullah Gul
decided to go to Yerevan to watch the game in order not to turn down
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian's invitation. Some have welcomed this
decision, while others hope that it won't influence our friendship with
Azerbaijan.

Yes, Armenia is our neighbor and we're supposed have good diplomatic
relations. Of course, we aren't responsible for how these relations went
badly. After Gul announced his decision to go there, many readers sent me
letters. I'd like to share some of these questions and opinions, but only
after Gul gets back can we see some of their answers. Here's a sampling:

Will Armenians stop lobbying worldwide for every country to declare that
Turks carried out a so-called genocide?

Our flag was recently trampled in front of the 'genocide' monument in
Armenia. Will they stop such behavior?

When journalist Hrant Dink was killed, we said, 'We're all Hrant,' but will
Armenia take the same stance on PKK terrorists who kill our soldiers and
police officers?

Will Armenia continue its occupation of Azerbaijan territory, or offer a
peaceful hand to resolve the issue?

Will Armenians forsake their claims on eastern Anatolian and say, 'We will
hug our Turkish neighbors and brothers. The past is past'?

Will Armenians, who even object to the Friendship Monument being built in
Kars, be able to say that they also want to contribute to this monument?

If Armenia does such things, of course, even we would go there following
Gul's visit. We all know that Gul won't go there as a sports fan and
obviously, there are more important things than the above questions. Under
these conditions, we hope Gul will go there in peace. Meanwhile, I wish and
hope that our national team will come back with a decisive victory."